Muobeopjeongsahangirun-dong Bowl Sangji

The Muo (1918) Beopjeongsa Anti-Japanese Resistance Movement broke out five months before the Gimi (1919) March First Movement, and was the first and largest anti-Japanese movement on Jeju Island, as well as the largest armed anti-Japanese uprising raised by a religious community anywhere in the country during the 1910s. On Monday, 7 October 1918, at Beopjeongsa Temple, at San 1, Dosun-dong, Seogwipo, Buddhist monks including Kim Yeon-il and Bang Dong-hwa, who had long opposed the rule of the Japanese Empire, led some 700 people — believers of Beopjeongsa, followers of Seondo-gyo, and ordinary civilians — who armed themselves as a group and resisted Japan in an organised uprising over two days. This played a pioneering role in spreading national anti-Japanese consciousness across the country, paving the way for the March First Movement of 1919 and other actions that followed. The movement was carefully planned from May 1918 until the day of action, 7 October, by about thirty people including the head monk of Beopjeongsa at the time, Kim Yeon-il. They drafted a manifesto reading: 'Our Joseon is suffering, having been seized by Japan. ... Assemble at Hawon-ri at 4 a.m. on the third day of the ninth lunar month of 1918. Then, on the fourth day of the ninth lunar month, launch a mass attack on Jeju-hyang (Jeju City), arrest officials, and drive out ordinary Japanese residents.' They had this manifesto distributed by the heads of each village, including Beophwan-dong, Hogeun-dong and Yeongnam-dong, and at dawn on 7 October (the third day of the ninth lunar month) they launched the armed uprising. The first target of the attack was the Seogwipo police substation, but as this proved impracticable they attacked the second target, the Jungmun-ri police substation, instead. In the course of this they cut the telegraph lines crossing the 'Keunnae' (Gangjeong Stream) and brought down two utility poles, and by the time they reached Hawon-ri the number of participants had grown to some 700. As the group made for Jungmun-ri, they beat and injured the Japanese man Koizumi Seishin, the Presbyterian Yun Sik-myeong, and his companion Bu Yong-hyeok at Hawon-ri, and set fire to the Jungmun police substation. They were then fired on by police from the Seogwipo substation, who had been mobilised after receiving word of the uprising, and the group retreated and scattered. Sixty-six of the main participants were sent to the Mokpo branch of the Gwangju District Court, of whom forty-eight were indicted for violating the Peace Preservation Law regarding disturbances. On 4 February 1919, thirty-one were given prison sentences, fifteen were fined, two died in custody before trial, three died in custody while imprisoned, and eighteen were not indicted. Beopjeongsa, the birthplace of the movement, stands at an elevation of 680 m on the ridge of 'Beopjeongak'. Its hall was a small thatched building with a hipped roof, a temple of only 87.3 square metres, but it was burned down by Japanese police at the same time as the patriots were arrested, and today only traces such as stone retaining walls remain. The project to commemorate the site began after trial records were discovered in 1992; in 1994 local residents petitioned for the restoration of honour of those involved; in 1995 the Jungmun Junior Chamber held a memorial rite and a 'manse' parade as part of the 50th anniversary of Liberation; in 1996 a committee for the commemorative project was formed and work to consecrate the birthplace proceeded; and in 2004 Uiyeolsa Shrine, enshrining joint spirit tablets for 400 people and portraits of 66 people, was completed, among other facilities.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seogwipo, Jeju

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물